Uterine Artery Doppler and Its Value in Predicting Preeclampsia

Prematurity is the leading cause of fetal morbidity and mortality. One of the most common reasons for women to have preterm delivery is due to a condition called preeclampsia. Early detection of preeclampsia is key to providing the best obstetric care and lessening the chance of maternal or fetal demise. The problem has been finding accurate ways to detect or predict women who will develop preeclampsia so that they can be closely monitored before the actual symptoms occur. Uterine artery Doppler has been shown to predict pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia. Investigators have shown that many women who develop preeclampsia have abnormal Doppler waveforms. Alone, uterine artery Doppler shows promise but is more accurate when combined with maternal factors such as maternal health history and first-trimester pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A values.